Dot's Way Cruising Cat: Oriental to Pantego Creek, Belhaven, North Carolina

We were gone at sunrise out of our anchorage at Oriental and decided to stop at Belhaven to wait out the upcoming weather. We stopped at Riverforest Marina for diesel, water, and pump out and did not take them up on the free hotdog or hamburger in celebration of Memorial Day as there was quite the line. We headed to the far end of the anchorage behind the breakwater and near the low bridge hoping to be out of the boat wakes. We dinghied past the free Belhaven City dock underneath the bridge to the Chamber of Commerce dinghy dock and walked the town. We found the hardware store and across the street the Farm Boys Restaurant and out front fresh strawberries for sale. We walked down Water Street past River Forest Marina and back up Main Street after stopping at Cloud Nine Creamery for ice cream.

Sunrise with a cup of coffee on the flybridge

Dinghy dock behind Chamber of Commerce

River Forest Manor and Marina

Interesting Attic Life store

Next to the library

Crabbing about town

Old City Hall now the Senior Center

It was a quiet night and great to sleep in knowing we have a great place to eat breakfast. The Belhaven free dock and dinghy dock with a picnic table pavilion is right across the street from Farm Boys takeout. We ordered a full breakfast and it was too much food but we walked it off doing almost a five-mile loop around town. We had the cart with our propane tank so it made it easy to stop at the service station, Walgreens, Post Office, Food Lion, and Yamaha Service Center. We were invited into the Artisan Center to view the art and had a nice chat with the local owner before making it back to the dock to be greeted by the official greeter with our welcome packet. We had a nice chat as she lives in the condos overlooking the waterfront and has her golf cart and Charlie, her fluffy dog. We met two other cruising boats.

Local artists center

Bluebird house in the window caught our eye

Dock master's pirate metal sculpture

The local steakhouse

Canada geese who love to poop on dinghy docks

Almost every perch taken

We checked out another breakfast place at Gingerbread Bakery and O'Neals Snack Bar on the main street from the waterfront. It was a cozy diner with an excellent omelet, grits, and biscuit and great service. We had a shout-out as we headed back to Advanced Auto as to the shortest route and then got stopped in the liquor store with an offer for a ride back if we were finished shopping. What a friendly town as we stopped at the Chamber of Commerce and were welcomed into the boater's lounge and any of the books we wanted to take not even in trade. We headed to the library to look for any travel books to finish booking our England and Ireland pre-tour hotels. We got all the final bookings finished back at the boat as well as defrosting the freezer. It was a cool overcast day and a few rain sprinkles as we got back to the boat.

A better view of River Bend Cultural Arts Center

Inviting downtown

The ultimate upscale Spoon River Artworks and Market Restaurant

Another cool overcast day as we returned to the same breakfast place as we've been to all of them! We then took the self-guided walking tour of the historic homes following the brochure with addresses, pictures, and descriptions, We found the community center and park and walked through the boatyard and marina, and finished up with Glenn getting his haircut before we returned to the boat. The weather looks good to move on tomorrow and stage to get across the Alligator River Saturday morning.